Health Matters for People with Developmental Disabilities

Dr. Marks is also Associate Director for Research in the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with Developmental Disabilities (RRTCADD) and President of the National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities. She directs research activities related to health promotion, health advocacy, primary health care, and occupational health and safety for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Dr. Marks has developed and implemented community-based surveys related to health and safety for people with disabilities and has written publications and presented papers in the area of disability, health, and community engagement in the United States and internationally. She has coedited a special issue for Nursing Clinics of North America titled Promoting Health Across the Lifespan for Persons with Developmental Disabilities and a feasibility study report, Advancing Nursing Education at Bel-Air Sanatorium and Hospital in Panchgani, Maharashtra, India, through The Global Health Leadership Office/ WHO Collaborating Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Adults with developmental disabilities are at significant risk for health problems. Effective health promotion can improve outcomes. An urgent call to action and a start-to-finish framework for health promotion, shows administrators and service providers how to increase supports for health education, exercise and nutrition by implementing their own successful program. With practical guidance on every stage of program development, readers will discover how to effectively communicate the key "selling points" of a health promotion program, from improved quality of life to reduced cost of health care, win the support of everyone involved, from senior management to direct support staff, assess individual and organizational needs, develop clear and realistic goals, both for the organization and for program participants, manage practical aspects like budgeting, gathering resources, and recruiting staff, use Universal Design to develop a program that welcomes people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities, motivate program participants with creative activities and strategies, ensure lasting improvements in health behaviors by setting up environmental and organizational supports, and evaluate the program's outcomes and identify areas for improvement. To help them implement their own health promotion program, readers will get practical planning tools: a "getting started" checklist; a sample Program Timeline and budget; lists of Internet and community resources; and assessment tools for determining their participants' needs, their current resources, and the success of their program.